Coach Spotlight

Tim Coghlin
Head Hockey CoachHow long have you been coaching at SNC?

This is my 17th season as the St. Norbert College hockey coach. My original plan was to coach at SNC for three to five years and see how serious the institution got about its hockey program over that time. The season before taking the coaching job at SNC I was an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point. Our team beat SNC 21-1. I started here without many expectations and much to work with and have built a program to be proud of over my 17 seasons.

How has the NCHA conference changed since you began coaching?

The league has evolved when the NCAA forced some original charter members to join Division I. Mankato, Bemidji State, and St. Cloud used to all be among the teams in the NCHA and had to either join Division I programs or dismantle their hockey programs. They all went Division I and now the league has evolved into a very successful Division III western region league.

What is the most rewarding part about coaching?

I enjoy following graduates' lives and careers after SNC. I always look at a ten year retrospective for our graduates. A very successful class is the 1999-2000 class with many graduates including assistant coach Tommy Cianflone that went on to have great professional careers outside of hockey.

What is an important quality you look for in a recruit?

The character of the young man is very important to find out if they fit the profile of an SNC student athlete. I look at three criteria when evaluating a potential recruit: how will they fit in academically at SNC, how will they fit in with the community, and usually if they fit those two categories they will fit in well with the last criteria of representing the hockey program.

How do you feel about the new women's hockey program starting next season?

I feel women's hockey is a natural fit at SNC. The success the men's team has enjoyed has given the college national recognition in the college hockey community. It has been a trend for other teams in our league to successfully implement a women's program and I am excited to see how the SNC women's team will do. They will enjoy all new facilities and have a lot of advantages heading into their inaugural season.